Expansible band



May 1 1954 S.QHAUSER ETAL EXPANSIBLE BAND 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April27, 1961 Z 4 A 25 5 0 5k m 2 8 o 3 aw M \l| 6 1 5 I 4 a w 2 4 x 5 W .3 26 am? 5 O 2 5 5 w gm. 4 O o 4 5 4 5 INVENTORS P HHUSEE G VEDEL HTTOENEYMay 1 1954 s. HAUSER :ETAL 3,133,406

.EXPANSIBLE BAND Filed April 27', 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet :2

5 INVENTORS E E O I? USE PHMEVG. 75254 L 56 AhJ kEQMLP/V May 19, 1964 s.HAUSER ETAL 3,133,406

EXPANSIBLE BAND Filed April 27, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ELM:

b70 13] I 6 "l g 66 ,1 68 i6 8 I 74 1 '7e a 1 1 A i 7 m kQkgw HTTORA/E YUnited States Patent 3,133,406 EXPANSIBLE BAND Seymour Hauser, NorthBergen, and Paul E. G. Vedel,

Little Ferry, N.J., assignors to Jacques Kreisler ManufacturingCorporation, North Bergen, N.J., a corpora! tion of New Jersey FiledApr. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 106,107 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 59-79) Our inventionrelates to an expansible band and more particularly to an improvedexpansible band which readily lends itself to adjustment of its length.

Many types of expansible bands are known in the prior art for holdingWristwatches and the like on the wrist of the wearer. Most of the bandspresently in use include a row of top or upper links connected to aplurality of bottom or lower links to form the band. These bands employconnectors having legs which are inserted in the open ends of the upperand lower links pivotally to connect the links to each other. Springshoused by the links bear between the link and a connector leg normallyto urge the band to its contracted position at which adjacent links abuteach other. In constructions of this nature either the links themselvesor shells carried by the links are provided with tabs adapted to be bentdown over the open ends or sides of the links to retain the connectorsin positions at which the legs thereof extend into the open ends toprovide the pivotal connections between the links.

It is obviously desirable that bands of the type which are to beemployed to retain watches on the wrist be manufactured in standardlengths and that they be able to be shortened to accommodate wrists ofall sizes. It is possible with considerable difficulty to shorten bandsof the prior art, the construction of which is described above. Inshortening such a band the retaining tabs must be bent back to open theends of the links and the connectors must then be removed. In thismanner the band is separated into two pieces. When this has been doneanother link is opened and the desired number of links are removed fromthat section ofthe band. Next the two sections of the band arereconnected by reinserting the connectors and bending down the retainingtabs to hold the parts assembled.

It will readily be appreciated that the shortening operation describedabove is extremely diflicult and tedious. A large number of steps arerequired to perform the shortening operation. This operation requiresthe distortion of elements making up the band and it may result inbreaking off retaining tabs. It further requires disassembly of asubassembly and the handling of the extremely small connectors which isnot only difiicult but which may result in the loss of the connectors.

We have invented an expansible band which overcomes the defects of bandsofthe type described hereinabove. Our band readily lends itself toshortening of the band. It requires no disassembly of subassemblies toachieve the shortening. Shortening may be accomplished with a minimum ofoperations. No distortion of any of the parts is required to shorten theband.

Expansible bands of the type known in the prior art and described aboveemploy springs acting on the connectors of the band to urge the band toitscontracted condition. These springs must be s-ufficiently strong tohold the band securely in its contracted condition .on the wearers wristwhile at the same time permitting the band to be slipped off the wristwith relative case. It will be appreciated that these two requirementsare in some degree inconsistent. That is, if relatively strong springsare employed to hold the band on the wrist it is relatively difficult toremove. On the other hand, if light springs 3,133,406 Patented May 19,1964 permitting ready removal are employed then the band may not be heldon the wrist as securely as is desirable.

Our improved expansible band isso constructed that it is securely heldin its contracted position on the wearers wrist while at the same timebeing relatively easy to remove from the wearers wrist. When expansionis initiated, as when the band is being removed, this operation may becontinued with relative ease.

One object of our invention is to provide an improved expansible bandwhichtreadily lends itself to shortening.

Another object of our invention is to provide an expansible band whichcan be shortened without distortion of any of the parts.

A further object of our invention is to provide an expansible band whichmay be shortened without disassembiy of any of the subassemblies makingup the band.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an expansible bandwhich canbe shortened in a rapid and expeditious manner in a very fewoperations.

Yet another object of our invention is to provide an expansible bandwhich is securely held in contracted position on the wearers wrist whilebeing readily removable therefrom.

Other and further objects of our invention will appear from thefollowing description.

.In general our invention contemplates the provision of an expansibleband in which springs housed by upper links act on couplers, whichhingedly connect the upper links to lower links in a readily releasablemanner, normally to urge the band to its contracted position. In oneform of our invention leaf springs housed by the bottom links act on thecouplers to retain them in position on the links and to act against theupper link springs as the band is expended to facilitate the expansionoperation and to cushion the return of the band to its contractedposition- In a second form of our invention springs in the lower linksact on the couplers to assist the upper link springs. Both forms of ourinvention permit ready adjustment of the band length in one form withoutany and in the other form with little distortion of parts.

In theaccompanying drawings which form part of the instant specificationand which are tobe read in con' pansible band.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of our expansible band showing the band inits contracted position and drawn on an enlarged scale. 7

FIGURES isa fragmentary sectional view of one form of our improvedexpansible band showing the band in its expanded position and drawn onan enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the elements making upa pair of adjacent subassemblies of the form of our expansible bandshown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a link and a pair of couplers of an alternateform of our expansible band.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the form of our expansibleband shown in FIGURE 5 with the band in its relaxed condition.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the form of our expansibleband shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 with the band in its expanded condition.

Referring nowto FIGURES 1 to 4 of the drawings, our expansible band,indicated generally bythe refer ence character 10, includes a pluralityof upper links, indicated generally by the reference character 12. Eachupper link 12 has respective sides 14,and 16 and end connectors 18 and20 forming the frame of the upper link 12. Each upper link 12 is adaptedto receive a shell 22 which covers the link and which may be formed of asuitable decorative material. Each of the shells 22 receives a torsionspring 24, the ends 26 and 28 of which are bent downwardly for a reasonwhich will be apparent from the description given hereinafter. In makingone of the upper link subassemblies of our band we first dispose aspring 24 within the shell 22 with the ends 26 and 28 extendingdownwardly out of the shell. The upper link 12 then is inserted withinthe shell with the connectors 18 and 20 bearing against the spring 24 toretain the spring within the shell. We provide the shell 22 with aplurality of tabs 30 adjacent the corners thereof which are bent underthe sides 14 and 16 of the upper link 12 to hold the shell in assembledposition on the upper link.

I Each side 14 and 16 of the upper link 12 is provided with a pair ofhinge hooks 32 adapted to receive a conpler, indicated generally by thereference character 34, provided with a slot 36 forming respectivecoupler sides or legs 38 and 40. Each coupler leg 38 is formed with alug 42 providing a cam surface 44. After a shell 22 has been assembledon an upper link 12 in the manner described with a spring 24 sandwichedbetween the link and the shell and with the ends 26 and 28 extendinggenerally outwardly of the inside of the frame of the upper link weassemble a pair of couplers 34 on the hooks 32 carried by the sides 14and 16. In accomplishing this operation we insert the lug 42 of acoupler 34 between the spring end 26 or 28 and the side 14 or 16adjacent which the spring end is disposed with the cam surface 44 inengagement with the spring end. Thus the spring 24, through its ends- 26and 28, urges the couplers 34 carried by the hooks 32 on the respectivesides to positions at which the legs 38 are held closely against thesides 14 and 16. With the parts so far described assembled in the manneroutlined above, we build up one of the upper link subassemblies of ourexpansible band.

Our band includes a plurality of respective lower or bottom links,indicated generally by the reference character 46, and having sides 48and 50, each of which is formed with a pair of hinge hooks 52. In orderto assemble a pair of upper link subassemblies described hereinafter toform our band we slip one of the couplers 34 of the subassembly onto thehooks 52 of the side 48 which receives the leg 40 of the coupler.Another lower link 46 can then be assembled on the other coupler 34 ofthe upper link subassembly by slipping its hooks 52 on the side 50 overthe leg 49 of the other coupler. Byfollowing this procedure a largenumber of upper link subassemblies can be joined by lower links 46 toprovide a band of the desired length.

Each of the lower links 46 receives a leaf spring 54 which extends alongthe base 56 of the link 46. These leaf springs 54 act on the couplerlegs 46 normally to hold them in engagement with the undersurfaces ofhooks 52 to prevent the couplers from slipping off the hooks under theirown volition. From the structure so far described it will be apparentthat when a band has been built up in the manner described the springs24 through their ends 26 and 28 act on the cam surfaces 44 of thecouplers 34 in a direction to urge the band to its contracted positionindicated in FIGURE 2. In this condition of the parts the springs 54 areunder maximum compression. From this condition the band can be expandedby pulling the links apart against the action of the springs 24.

We so shape the legs 40 as will be apparent from the figures of thedrawings that with the band in its contracted position the legs 40occupy neutral positions in which they are not urged to rotate in eitherdirection by the compressed springs 54. When expansion of the band isinitiated, legs 40 tend to rotate in such a direction that the portionsof the legs which engage the springs 54 tend to move away from thesprings so that the compressed springs expand and act on the legs 40 tourge the coupler 34 to move in a direction opposite to that in which thecouplers are urged to move by the springs 24. When the expansion band ispermitted to return to its contracted position, then the springs 54 actagainst the springs 24 in the return movement to cushion the returnaction until the band is completely contracted and legs 40 occupy such,positions that they are not urged to rotate in either direction by thesprings 54. Legs 49 have upper arcuate edges and arcuate portions ontheir lower edges and at least one flattened side. The diameter of acircle containing the arcs of the arcuate surfaces is the maximumcross-sectional dimension of the legs 40. Owing to this shape of thelegs in the position of the legs shown in FIGURE 2 both spring 54 andthe underside of the wall 52 are engaged by 1 1e arcuate surfaces andspring 54- is compressed to its maximum extent in operation of the band.Now, when the band expands, as the connectors rotate, the i pression ofsprings 54 is relieved from its maximum compression and the springs moveto the positions shown in FIGURE 3.

The manner in which we assemble our band will readily be apparent fromthe description given hereinabove. After placing a spring 24 inside'theshell 22 with the ends 26 and 28 extending out of the shell, an upperlink 12 is placed within the shell over the spring with the ends 26 and28 extending out between the sides 14 and 16 of the upper link 12. Whenthis has been done we bend tabs 30 under the sides 14 and 16 to retainthe parts in their assembled positions. We next book the legs 38 of apair of couplers on the hooks 32 of the sides 14 and 16 with lugs 42between the sides and the ends of the spring and with the cam surface 44of a lug in engagement with the spring end. Having built up a number ofthese subassemblies, we connect them together by slipping the legs 40 ofthe coupler 34 over the hooks 52 on the sides 48 and 5'3 of a lower link4-6.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 to 7, an alternate form of our expansibleband, indicated generally by the reference character 58, includes aplurality of upper links 60 and lower links 62. The upper and lowerlinks of this form of our invention are substantially identical and areinterchangeable. Each of the links 60 and 62 includes a pair of sides 64and 66 provided with hooks 68 for the reception of couplers having slots70 forming legs 72 and '74. We join the upper links 66 and the lowerlinks 62 of this form of our invention by slipping the leg 72, forexample, of a coupler over the hooks 68 on a side 64 of an upper linkand by slipping the coupler leg 74 over the hooks 68 of the side 66 of alower link 62.

We dispose a spring 76, formed from any suitable fiat spring materialgenerally to the shape of a bow, in each of the upper and lower links.Each spring 76 includes a central portion 78 which bears on one leg of apair of adjacent couplers and a pair of end portions 80 and 82 whichbear on the leg of the other adjacent coupler. It is to be noted that inthis form of our invention rather than using the fiat springs 54 in thebases of the lower links we position springs 76 within the lower links62. With this construction the springs 76 in the upper links and thesprings 76 in the lower links all act together normally to urge the bandto its contracted condition shown in FIGURE 5. When a force is exertedon the band tending to expand it, the parts move to the relativepositions shown in FIGURE 7. In the form of our invention shown inFIGURES 5 to 7, we bend the ends of each link 60 and 62 to form flanges84 which serve to retain the springs 76 in position within the links.

In operation of the form of our expansible band shown in FIGURES l to 4,in the released or contracted condition of the band the springs 24 holdthe legs 38 in engagement with the sides 14 and 16 and legs 49 occupyneutral positions at which springs 54 retain them in engagement with theundersides of hooks 52 while not tending to rotate. the couplers ineither direction. When expansion of the band is initiated by a forcepulling the links apart, legs 40 move to positions at which springs 54assist in expanding the band by acting against springs 24. When theexpanded band is released, springs 54 cushion its return to contractedcondition until legs 40 again occupy their neutral positions.

When it is desired to shorten our expansible band, the links of the bandare pulled apart and the hooks 52 of a lower link are slipped out of theslot 36 in a coupler 34 to separate the band into two sections. Afterthis has been accomplished, the desired number of links are removed fromone of the sections by slipping the coupler 34 of the last of thesubassemblies to be removed off the lower link of the remainingsubassemblies and then the two sections are reconnected to form theshortened band.

The form of our expansible band illustrated in FIG- URES to 7 may beshortened with little distortion of parts. In this form of our inventionwe make the lower links 62 from a material which is sufficientlymalleable to permit a flange 84 to be bent down to permit removal of thespring 76. When this has been done, one of the associated upper links isslipped off the hooks 68 of the lower link. By performing this operationat two spaced points the desired number of links can be removed and theremaining parts of the band are rejoined by reversing the procedureoutlined above. It will be appreciated that this shortening operationrequires but little distortion of parts. It is to be noted that, ifdesired, we may provide decorative caps on both forms of our invention.While we have shown the legs 72 and 74 as being generally rectangular incross-section it will readily be appreciated that we may provide themwith cam surfaces such as the surface 44 on the couplers in FIGURES 2and 3 for engaging the springs.

It will be apparent that, owing to the fact that, in each form of ourinvention, the springs biasing the band to its contracted position actbetween a pair of couplers rather than between a link and a coupler,disassembly and reassembly of links is facilitated.

It will be seen that we have accomplished the objects of our invention.We have provided an expansible band which can readily be shortened in asimple and expeditious manner without disassembly of subassemblies andwithout distortion of any of the parts.

In one form of our invention the construction of our expansible band issuch that while the band is securely held in contracted position onceexpansion has been initiated this operation is facilitated. Further, theaction of the band in returning to its contracted condition iscushioned.

It will be understood that certain features and subcom binations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and it is within the scope ofour claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made indetails within the scope of our claims without departing from the spiritof our invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that our inventionis not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. An expansible band including in combination a plurality of upperlinks, a plurality of lower links, a plurality of couplers each havingan upper leg and a lower leg having a bottom edge, said legs extendingin a direction generally transverse of the length of said band, meanscarried by the respective links for receiving said coupler legs wherebysaid upper and lower links are connected for movement from positions atwhich said band is contracted to positions at which said band isexpanded, a plurality of springs positioned between adjacent uppercoupler legs for acting on said legs normally to urge said links topositions at which said band is contracted and a plurality of fiatsprings lying along the bases of said lower links to act on the bottomedges of the lower legs of said couplers against the action of saidsprings acting on said upper coupler legs.

2. An expansible band including in combination a plurality of upperlinks, a plurality of lower links, a plurality of couplers, each havingan upper leg and a lower leg, interengageable means on said upper linksand on said upper legs and interengageable means on said lower links andon said lower legs for holding said upper and lower links in assembledrelationship, the arrangement being such that a pair of upper legs areassociated with each of said upper links, respective springs disposedbetween the legs of each pair for normally urging said band tocontracted position and a plurality of springs for acting on said lowerlegs against said upper leg springs, said lower legs normally occupyinga position in the contracted condition of said band in which said lowerleg springs are compressed and in which the action of said lower legsprings against said lower legs is neutralized, the arrangement beingsuch that when expansion of said band is initiated said lower legsprings act against said upper leg springs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,833,113 Dolansky May 6, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 545,184 Canada Aug. 20,1957 801,850 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1958 838,014 Great Britain June 22,1960

1. AN EXPANSIBLE BAND INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A PLURALITY OF UPPERLINKS, A PLURALITY OF LOWER LINKS, A PLURALITY OF COUPLERS EACH HAVINGAN UPPER LEG AND A LOWER LEG HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE, SAID LEGS EXTENDINGIN A DIRECTION GENERALLY TRANSVERSE OF THE LENGTH OF SAID BAND, MEANSCARRIED BY THE RESPECTIVE LINKS FOR RECEIVING SAID COUPLER LEGS WHEREBYSAID UPPER AND LOWER LINKS ARE CONNECTED FOR MOVEMENT FROM POSITIONS ATWHICH SAID BAND IS CONTRACTED TO POSITIONS AT WHICH SAID BAND ISEXPANDED, A PLURALITY OF SPRINGS POSITIONED BETWEEN ADJACENT UPPERCOUPLER LEGS FOR ACTING ON SAID LEGS NORMALLY TO URGE SAID LINKS TOPOSITIONS AT WHICH SAID BAND IS CONTRACTED AND A PLURALITY OF FLATSPRINGS LYING ALONG THE BASES OF SAID LOWER LINKS TO ACT ON THE BOTTOMEDGES OF THE LOWER LEGS OF SAID COUPLERS AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAIDSPRINGS ACTING ON SAID UPPER COUPLER LEGS.